


They wanna know if this is only a phase

by BabyStray (Lexine)



Series: I gotta free me, far away from you [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Kissing, Dialogue Heavy, Dysfunctional Family, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Kissing, M/M, Minho's Air Fryer Saga, Minho's Tissue Saga, Minho's father is pretty bad, Pining, Violence, except the target is Seungmin, if u dont know what i mean look it up its funny af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:41:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28369287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexine/pseuds/BabyStray
Summary: In which Minho has to find a fake boyfriend to avoid his overbearing parents trying to marry him off with the daughter of some rich investor of his father’s company and one Kim Seungmin turns out to be the only available option.Or:“Would you be my boyfriend then?”, Minho asked and then blushed, “I- I mean, fake. Fake boyfriend”, he corrected himself.Title from TOP by SKZ. Changbin’s line (minus “all”)
Relationships: Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Mentioned Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Past Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Side Bang Chan/Lee Felix (Stray Kids), side Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin
Series: I gotta free me, far away from you [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077659
Comments: 48
Kudos: 272





	1. But it’s a risk I gotta take

**Author's Note:**

> Henlo :3 Today I bring you something softer than my last fic, ‘cause that was.. anyway, moving on~ ^^’ I really like the divorced couple play Minho and Seungmin do. It’s cute and it always gives me ideas. This is one of them. It has nothing to do with divorce, but I tried to incorporate that playful dynamic regardless, idk.
> 
> Important to mention: this story happens around Christmas time. I have no idea what a cold Christmas is like in person, so I wrote the whole thing with hot weather in mind.
> 
> Also, I didn’t mean to refer to any idol when I chose Areum, Sungho, Ayeong, Doyun… and any other name aside from Stray Kids as character names; I just threw random Korean names for the side characters xD These are all listed at Google as common names. Thought I should mention that just in case…
> 
> **Don’t repost this anywhere without my explicit permission, please and thanks.**

Lee Minho is the kind of person that likes to have things under control. And being a very diligent person, he usually has. His room at his shared apartment with Hyunjin is fairly tidy, his university notes are clean and easy to read, his appearance is always on point, his schedule is organised in a way he has time to study, have a social life _and_ time to sleep. His life is mostly under control and that’s the way he likes it.

Unfortunately there are some things he can’t control; his parents, for instance. They’re fairly rich and seem to think that entitles them to rule over other people’s lives, especially Minho’s. He is their only son, the only heir of this father's company, and Minho was ok with that, no problem whatsoever. But marrying one of their biggest investor’s daughter was not on his future plans, oh no. That was going overboard. His parents seemed to think otherwise though, and tried to play cupid at every opportunity, creating situations in which he’d have to be close to the girl.

He has no problem with Areum, she’s really pretty and nice and they have an awful good time talking bad about their parents behind their backs, but that’s it. They have no interest in marrying one another. But go and tell that to their parents… to _his_ parents, especially.

It came to a point to which Minho decided he had to draw a line on behalf of both him and Areum, and stop them from pushing and pulling strings to get them together. Their attempts were starting to become rather uncomfortable for them and even putting strain in their friendship. As the straightforward person he is, he sat down with his parents at the living room of their unnecessarily large mansion and told them what he thought would be the perfect reason for them to give up: that he was gay. Which was not only truth but, again, a very good reason for them to stop pestering him about marrying any woman. Only maybe he should’ve taken in consideration his parents might not like the idea that he was gay. And so, things didn’t go as planned.

First of all, they didn’t believe him, told him to stop joking around. And, even as resourceful as he was, he didn’t have a boyfriend to shove in their faces. It wasn't that Minho didn’t have guys interested in him, no no no. Minho was hot as hell and he had a line of guys who wanted to bone him. But wanting to fuck him and wanting to date him were two very different things.

He considered taking one of his hook ups to the mansion and making some noise, but, even as entitled and annoying as his parents were, he still loved them. He wanted to be accepted, not to cause ruckus and fight them only for a hook up.

And anyway, his parents were beyond mortified just by the _possibility_ of him being gay – because then again, they insisted he was not. They had said awful things to him in the heat of the moment when he came out, things Minho truly hoped they didn’t mean, and doubled their efforts to get him together with poor Areum. He tried to reason with them, but at that point he wasn’t sure he had good planning skills anymore. A pattern was forming, he could see, in which he'd always fail miserably at making his plans work when it concerned his parents and it was eating away at him.

“Min, you’re not… you’re a man! You’ll marry and have kids. You’re just confused, but we’ll help you through this phase”, his father said with a “comforting” hand on Minho’s shoulder when he, once more, tried to explain he was into men.

Minho raised his brow in a way he knew his father hated because it was “inelegant and disrespectful”. “A phase…?”, he scoffed, “did you go through this ‘phase’ as well, father? Is that why you think you can help me?”, he glared at him. He knew he was being harsh, maybe disrespectful and most definitely inelegant, but both of them had been stepping beyond the line for so long that he had no patience for politeness anymore.

His mother gasped, a hand clasped over her open mouth and the other at her chest, “Oh my Gosh, Minho! How dare you talk to your father like this?!”, she said in a high pitched voice.

“You better measure your words, Lee Minho”, his father said sternly.

“Oh I will, _Lee Sungho_ , when you stop invalidating my sexuality and trying to marry me off to a girl I don’t love, or _any woman_ whatsoever!”, Minho sighed. “I’m gay. An Homosexual. _A fag_ , as you like to call people like me. I don’t like women that way!”, his volume escalating toward the end.

“My son is not a fag! _You’re_ not a fag and as long as I’m your father I’ll put sense into that head of yours!”, he shouted and Minho flinched. He made sure to swallow the knot in his throat and looked meaningfully at his mother, who stood still watching the conversation unfold.

“Minnie, my baby, you’re young, you might just be confused. It’s the hormones…”, she said quietly and side-glanced his father. Of course, Minho should’ve known that such a submissive wife as her wouldn’t say anything against her husband. It still hurt. And what hurt him more was knowing that it wasn’t just her submissiveness that kept her from standing up for him; she also didn’t like the idea of a homosexual son. He swallowed the other knot that had formed and blinked quickly not to cry. He’d not cry in front of them.

He could’ve fought harder maybe, but he didn’t have the strength, not at that moment. “I won’t marry Areum. She doesn’t want to marry me either, so stop bothering her with you thoughtless requests”, he turned around and left, his mother calling him back and his father telling her to let him go.

Minho entered his apartment to find Hyunjin, Chan and Felix watching something in the living room. The tears he hadn't cried in front of his parents immediately flooded his eyes as he discarded his shoes and walked to them. Chan was the first to notice and met him halfway, wrapped his arms around him tightly and let him soak his favourite hoodie with his tears. He combed his fingers through his hair, or maybe it was Felix, who had soon after hugged him from behind and asked him softly what had happened. Hyunjin stood quietly to the side, looking so comically worried that Minho almost forgot he was sad.

“I tried to talk to my parents again”, he said when he managed to stop crying as if it explained everything. All of his friends knew how overbearing his parents were, so maybe it was indeed enough.

“You know Areum doesn’t want it either, they can’t force you both”, Hyunjin said as he rubbed his tense shoulders.

He shook his head, “That’s not it, Jinnie”, he gulped painfully, his throat sore from all the sobbing. “They’re just… they think I’ll stop being gay at some point”, he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and drawled out a sigh. “They’re in denial or don’t accept it or both, I don’t even know anymore!”

“Wait… didn’t you come out to them like.. four times already?”, Chan frowned and Hyunjin hit him. “What? That’s what he told me!”

“Yeah… I mean, no. I came out thrice, but yeah. I guess they don’t believe me because they’ve only seen me with girls”, he half-laughed and Chan quirked a brow in a ‘really?’. “I didn’t want them to know from the beginning, I know how my father is… so now they think it’s a phase and my father said some really shitty things. Hence all the crying”, he gestured at his puffy eyes.

Felix hugged him tightly again, “We’re here for you, hyung. For anything, really”, Minhosmiled. “Yeah, I know, Lix, thank you. I just had a moment there.”

⟣⟢

Months passed and soon Minho forgot about his family issues to focus on his studies and his friends. Things were going great again. He felt under control of his life. His parents hadn’t bothered him with dates with Areum or anything of the sort since then and he felt he could breathe. Maybe they had finally given up on that silly idea.

If he had only known how wrong he was…

It was a nice night out with his friends, one of the rare nights everyone of them had a clear schedule and could meet up. They were at the apartment Chan shared with Changbin, all cramped up in their minuscule common area playing Uno and drinking the stress away when his phone rang.

“Areum-nah”, Minho answered.

“Oppa, do you have a moment?”, Minho noticed the waver in her voice and carefully placed his cards down and got up to distance himself from all the noise the group was making. “Yes, of course, what’s up?”

“I thought it’d be best if I told you, but I don’t want to cause trouble…”, she hesitated and Minho assured her it was ok to tell him what was wrong. “It’s your parents… they invited me and my parents over and asked them my hand in marriage to you.”

“ _They what?!”_ , Minho shouted and everyone froze and looked at him. “Of course I said no, but now my parents are back on board on convincing me and it’s becoming a problem… I met this really nice guy…”, she said with sadness evident in her voice. “If there’s anything oppa could do to stop this… I know it’s not your fault, but I don’t know what to do! It’s really hard on me and my boyfriend with them all over me asking me to marry another guy!”

“Areum, I’m terribly sorry it got to this point”, he rubbed a hand down his face, “I’ll put an end to this, don’t worry”, Minho growled under his breath, hand tugging at his own hair in frustration. He made sure she was ok and returned to their mess of limbs around the tiny centre table, all of them looking expectantly at him. “My parents asked Areum’s parents her hand in marriage… without my knowledge or consent”, he banged his closed fist on the table, some of the cards that had been laid precariously falling to the ground.

The boys’ eyes widened in synchrony, Chan and Jeongin groaned in unison, and Changbin banged his head on the table, making more cards scatter. “I have a plan to stop this nonsense once and for all”, he stated.

“We’re all ears”, Jisung tittered and reached for a bag of chips like he was preparing to watch a movie and Chan glared at him. “What? You have to admit this drama is getting good”, he shrugged.

Minho ignored him and proceeded to explain his plan, “Christmas’ around the corner and I always stay at the mansion for some days as you all already know”, he paused to gauge at their reactions, and when there was none he continued, “If I’m taken and utterly in love I think it’ll hit them that there’s nothing they can do to… I don’t know, cure my gayness”, he rolled his eyes.

“You think you can find a date and fall in love until then? Christmas is in like two weeks or so?”, Seungmin crossed his arms and shook his head.

“What? You think I don’t have a line of dudes waiting to date me at one call?”, Minho scoffed and mimicked him, leaned back to rest his back against front of the couch, but only to hide his embarrassment, because no, there wasn’t.

“I don’t doubt you having guys lined up, but wanting to actually date you and falling in love? With your cold heart?”, Seungmin snickered and Minho flipped him off.

“I don’t need to actually be in love or even dating, you dummy”, Minho rolled his eyes again, “I just need them to believe so.”

“Wait, and why haven’t you tried this before?”, Felix asked.

“I didn’t want to create more conflict… I thought they’d come around with time”, he shrugged. “Time has come and gone and they’re worst by the day”, he rubbed his temples, “and now that Areum is dating, they’re fucking up her relationship as well, she was almost crying on the phone”, the others nodded.

“So you’re going to show up for Christmas with a hot boyfriend… that’s the plan?”, Jeongin raised his brows. Minho nodded, “Yeah… what? They’ll be very convinced that I’m gay if I’m going as far as taking a boyfriend for such a family gathering, right?”

“Uh, sure, but your father… what it things turn ugly?”, Chan asked, a deep frown on his face and teeth worrying his lower lip.

Minho pondered. Things would probably turn ugly, right? There was no way his father was just going to accept it out of nowhere. That was worrisome. What if they cast him out? Thoughts spiralled in his head, what ifs after what ifs making his resolve falter. He wasn’t actually dating, and he had dealt pretty well with them trying to butt in his life for the past twenty something years so it didn’t really matter if they kept trying, he would just do what he had always done; avoid conflict and live his life quietly. He’d only visit them from time to time anyway… but poor Areum… Minho felt somehow responsible for her, she was younger and didn’t deserve having his parents mess with her life as well. Maybe it was fine for him, but she had made it clear it wasn’t for her.

And Minho knew she could’ve just distanced herself from him and blamed him for everything, but she was nice and valued their strange bond, always let him try to sort things out as not to end their friendship. Minho was scared, but he felt if he didn’t so something he’d lose his friend. Not only that, for how long did he intend to let his parents do whatever they wanted? No, he had to do something, _anything_.

“I still want to try… not only for me, but for Areum too”, he tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Agreed, it’s past the time you do something about it. If they disinherit you, we’ll just adopt you, hyung!”, Jisung laughed, and Felix added, “I always wanted a cat!”

“Say it for yourself, I wouldn’t risk having a feral cat at home”, Seungmin scoffed, but the way his eyes tinkled told Minho he didn’t really mean that.

“Thank you, guys”, he actually smiled. “So, for my plan I’m going to need a volunteer. Who’s it gonna be?”, he looked around at them and they gaped at him.

“Wait, what?”, Changbin straightened himself, pulling himself away from the pillow that cushioned his back.

“Why don’t you get someone from your list?”, Jeongin snickered.

“They’re on the list and not on my bed for a reason Innie, baby~”, Minho deadpanned and Jeongin mumbled under his breath a ‘I don’t even wanna know, hyung’. “And it’ll be much more convincing if the person actually knows me properly. And all of you do.”

“Your parents know Chan and I are dating”, Felix shrugged.

“I’m not sharing Jisung”, Changbin glared at Minho, “I bet you’re going to have to kiss and shit to convince them, and I’m not ok with that”, he pulled Jisung closer and Jisung just nodded, his mouth already too full of chips to verbally agree.

“It can’t be Jeongin either, they know he’s like my baby brother, I’d be weird”, Minho scratched his head.

“And I wouldn’t do it even if you asked, eugh”, he gave Minho a disgusted look.

“Then that leave us…”, Chan trailed off as everyone looked at Hyunjin and Seungmin, who were sitting next to each other. Seungmin immediately looked away, mouth shut in a thin line.

“Have your parents even met them?” Chan asked.

“No… but that’s good, right?”, Minho replied and leaned over the table to grab Hyunjin’s hands.

“Would you help me, Hyunjinie?”, Minho asked, and no one was surprised at the choice. Seungmin and Minho weren’t exactly on bad terms, but not on good terms either. Their friendship revolved around mocking and bickering at each other, so they weren’t exactly the best combo. Minho didn’t have any particular issue with Seungmin, he was nice enough, but the boy had a taste for pissing him off, always seeming to know what to say to make Minho furious and he enjoyed doing so. Minho was no better; he was blunt with his words, which made him seem cold most of the time. He also liked teasing and Seungmin was very weak to both coldness and teasing, any little thing enough to light his fuse. The big surprise was them actually being friends and not enemies by this point.

“Uh, I can try…”, Hyunjin said uncertain, heat spreading on his cheeks.

“Then let’s do a test run tomorrow, we’ll need to be very convincing”, Minho suggested, to which Hyunjin nodded in agreement.

⟣⟢

The cafe was bubbling with people, and the buzzing that filled the place drowned Minho’s voice calling Hyunjin when he arrived. He poked the boys cheek, making him squeak and look startled at a giggly Minho.

“Jesus, hyung, you almost killed me!”, he place a hand on his chest dramatically.

“Oh no, I can’t have that happening~ I don’t want to lose my _boyfriend_!”, Minho sat down beside him and laced their hands together below the table. Hyunjin looked around him and tried to pull his hand away. Minho scowled and inclined closer to him. “Won’t I get my welcome kiss?”, he pouted. Hyunjin spluttered and flinched away from Minho, blush high on his cheeks.

“Oh my gosh, hyung, I can’t survive this!”, he squealed in a high-pitched voice.

Minho sighed. “If you can’t handle me holding your hand, sitting beside you and asking you for a kiss how the fuck are we supposed to fool my parents, Jinnie?”, he whined, his eyebrows knitted together as he rubbed his temples with two fingers and drawled out a heavy sigh. Less than a minute in and Hyunjin had already failed.

“S-sorry, Minho-hyung, it’s just… so much! We’re _friends_ and you’re coming hot at me out of nowhere!”, he hid behind his hands.

“I should’ve known you’d be too much of a blushing virgin for this mission”, he mocked, but placed a hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder all the same, comforting him, “It’s ok. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Don’t worry about it”, he smiled as Hyunjin peeked behind his hands to look at him.

“I’m not a virgin, Minho-hyung, I’m just shy”, he pouted and pushed at Minho’s chest playfully.

“Yeah, I know. I heard you with someone a couple weeks back. Gotta admit it was kinda hot”, he smirked.

“ _What- you heard me with Seungmin?_ ”, he almost shouted in the middle at the cafe and covered his mouth, eyes huge and frightened darting around to make sure no onehad heard.

“Oh, so that was Seungmin making you scream”, Hyunjin hit him harder on the arm and Minho laughed. “You’re so cute, Hyun.e, all blush-y and shy”, he teased and Hyunjin groaned, lowering his head on the table and covering his burning ears.

Minho waited for the boy to recover, “It’s cute and all, but I’m not fooling my parents with you blushing around like that…”

“Why don’t you get Seungmin, then?”, Hyunjin tipped his head to the side.

“He wouldn’t agree to it. And even if he did, we’d be picking at each other instead of acting lovey-dovey”, Hyunjin nodded. “So what’s your plan, hyung?”

“I’m getting my list.”

⟣⟢

First try at his list was a complete disaster. The guy was way too touchy for Minho’s taste, using the fake-date opportunity to cop a feel every other minute or so. Minho did want his parents to believe he was gay, but he didn’t want them to think he was a slut, even if he kind of was – they _really_ didn’t need to know that.

Second try was just the opposite. The guy was even shier than Hyunjin and insistent on actually dating Minho. Two days later Minho even had to block the boy because he kept saying he loved him and saying they should move abroad together, getting to the point of asking him in marriage. He didn’t know why he attracted weirdos like that, but he always had. It was one of the reasons he never dated men. He had his share of girlfriends when he was still trying to act straight to his parents, but dating people he actually liked? No, Minho had never had that. All guys Minho had met wanted him for one single purpose: sex.

Minho was fine with that. He really was. He enjoyed sex and he didn’t feel bad next morning when he got up sore and went home, either leaving nothing behind for the guy to find him or leaving only his number if he guy fucked him good enough. Of course, he also had his list, which was just a bunch of numbers people slipped him at parties when he declined them. He always had a good reason for turning someone away, usually because his instincts screamed at him, sometimes because his friends warned him the guy was trash. Rarely because he had actually talked with the person and found out they were shitty. Chan mostly kept these kinds away from him, but they’d always find a way to give him their number.

Third try was the worst. Minho had chosen a night date to change things up a bit, since the cafe approach wasn’t leading to good results. He felt uncomfortable with the way the guy eyed him from the very beginning, but in his desperation, he ignored his instincts and sat with the guy on a private booth of a restaurant. Bad idea. The guy wanted to fuck Minho right there and then, thought Minho was playing coy and wouldn’t stop sending innuendos. Minho ended up cutting the date short, which pissed the guy off and Minho was lucky he went home only with a split lip and a bruised cheek, thanks to the restaurant security kicking the guy out when he tackled Minho to the ground and he screamed for help.

Minho had no luck in men. And his planning skills sucked (which was ironic considering how put together his life was when his parents weren’t involved). That’s the conclusion he got to that night when he curled up to sleep, the tears feeling cold on his cheeks and the silence of his apartment hanging heavy. He wished Hyunjin was there with him, but the boy was at Felix’s for a game night. He could’ve called him, surely both of them would barge in his room not too long after and cuddle him, but he felt miserable. How could he be such a mess? He felt his life getting out of his control once again, and he hated it. Even his dreams mocked him, showing his the face of rude-guy-number-three as he attacked him.

The next day, Minho was sitting at the same cafe he had been with Hyunjin, makeup on point to hide the bruise and the bag under his eyes, and an excuse for the cut lip ready. Random dude number four looked friendlier, even sweet, so he took his time explaining more or less the situation he was in. And to be sincere, he wasn’t all that comfortable sharing some things with the guy after what had happened the day before, so he kept it simple, telling him only the necessary so he’d understand how serious the matter was to him.

“So, if I do this, what do I get in exchange?”, the guy said with a sly smirk as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table, sweet façade long gone, and Minho squinted his eyes. “I didn’t think about that. My eternal gratitude? Or do you want money? I’m not against paying you, if that’s what you mean.”

“Let me fuck you and I’ll do it”, Minho gritted his teeth and groaned internally. “I’m offering you money and that’s what you want? Forget that, I’ll pay you a good amount in exchange.”

“Yeah, but that’s not what I want, sweetie. I want you on all fours for me”, Minho almost gagged. “No. I’m not that desperate, thanks”, Minho hit his hands on the table, got up and walked out of the cafe, not bothering to say goodbye to the guy or to pay the tab. He paused outside to breathe the fresh air and a hand took a hold of his wrist painfully. Minho was turned around harshly and winced.

“You little shit, what do you think you’re doing?”, he tugged at him harder and Minho grunted.

“Leaving, duh, I’m not interested in your tiny dick, so there’s no deal”, he looked bored at the man whose face was angry red. That was why he was on the list and not on his bed, Minho remembered; tiny dick and anger problems. He should update his list by deleting all of the names on it, he made a mental note.

The man raised his hand, “You piece of-“, Minho flinched and closed his eyes, waiting for the blow. He felt something pull him from behind by his shoulder and slowly opened his eyes to Seungmin restraining rude guy’s arm with a stern look on his face. “You better leave, man”, Seungmin said, his voice in such a low pitch and face so angry that Minho gaped at him, astounded. The guy pulled his arm back and muttered curses under his breath, “Stay out of this, _pumpkin_ ”, the guy spat, to which Seungmin quirked an annoyed brow. “No, _you_ better run, _pumpkin_ , ‘cause the cops will be here soon”, the guy looked around worried and cursed again, before turning on his heel and walking away.

As rude-guy-number-four left, Minho rubbed at the abused skin of his wrist with a frown on his face. He hoped that wouldn’t be another bruise.

“What do you think you’re doing, you idiot?!”, Seungmin asked him with a distressed look.

“Huh, Hyunjin failed miserably at being my fake boyfriend, so I resorted to _the list_ ”, Minho shrugged. “Kinda remember now why I never accepted fucking this one.”

Seungmin gently took the wrist Minho was still rubbing at on his own hands and examined the skin. “Don’t do dangerous stuff, hyung, you’re going to get us worried”, he frowned, looking hurt, but Minho didn’t really know why.

He looked at him fondly. Yeah, he and Seungmin bickered a lot, but he was a good friend and at moments like this Minho was reminded of it.

“Can’t help it. I’m a week away from Christmas and I don’t have a boyfriend _or_ a fake boyfriend yet”, he sighed. “I know I’m not the kind of person people like to date, but I thought fake dating me would be easy enough, guess I was wrong”, he pouted.

“You’re so stupid, hyung”, Seungmin rolled his eyes and tutted. “Guys like _that_ won’t fake date _or_ date _anyone_ , not just you”, he said annoyed. Minho couldn’t point it out, but he felt Seungmin wanted to say something more, and yet held back. He wouldn’t push it though, they weren’t close enough for him to pry.

“Well, Seungie, since you’re so smart, what do you suggest?! I’m trying my best here!”, Minho grunted and ran his hand over his face. Yeah, fuck Kim Seungmin, he was nice for five seconds before turning stingy again. He sighed and looked at Seungmin, who was squinting at him. “What?”

“What’s that on your face, hyung?”, he reached a hand to touch the bruise on Minho’s cheek and thumbed at his busted lip, and Minho winced. “Ouch, idiot, don’t touch! It hurts!”, he swatted his hand away and touched it himself stupidly, only to wince again. “I must have rubbed the makeup off, it’s just a bruise.”

Seungmin’s eyes widened. “A bruise from what? And this lip? Did that guy hit you and you still met him again, Minho?!”, he whisper-shouted, aware they were still in front of the cafe, and cradled his face to check the wound closer.

“Of course not, dumbass! It was another weirdo that I met the other day!”, Minho looked at him offended, “and don’t skip honourifics, you brat!”, he batted his hands away again and looked away.

“Oh my god, you’ve been meeting people like this?!”, it was Seungmin’s time to run a rand down his own face, slowly exhaling. “ _Hyung_ , I’m worried. You can’t meet this kind of guy. I don’t want to find you in a gutter!”, he looked Minho in his eyes, voice softer as if to convey he meant it.

“Would you be my boyfriend then?!”, Minho said louder than intended and looked to the ground ashamed, “I- I mean, fake. Fake boyfriend”, he corrected himself. Seungmin gawked at him before recomposing himself and swallowing dryly. “If it’ll stop you from meeting this kind of guys, then yeah, I can do it”, he looked away when Minho looked up at him, trying to hide his own flushed cheeks, not that Minho would notice with the way he was wrapping his mind around the idea of dating, scratch that, _fake_ -dating Seungmin.

“Oh… ok ok…”, Minho fumbled with his words. “Ok, let’s meet tomorrow to talk about it…?”, he asked hesitantly. “Yeah, sure…”, Seungmin agreed, seeming just as out of it as Minho. This couldn’t end up good, right? They’d end up fighting and messing things up, but it was still a better shot than a random dude that just wanted to rail Minho. Right?

⟣⟢

“Where’s Hyunjin?”, Seungmin asked Minho as soon as he passed the threshold.

“Greet your hyung before asking shit, brat”, Minho complained, but continued without expecting an apology, “Out with Jeongin and Jisung. I think…”, Minho walked to the couch and flopped down, Seungmin following suit. “So... are you sure you want to do this?”, Minho asked, to which Seungmin nodded.

“Are you sure you’re not going to be a blushing mess like Hyunjin and not even let me hold your hand?”, Minho snickered. Seungmin raised a brow at him and got up from his place on the couch, making his way towards him. He dropped himself sideways on Minho’s lap, one of his arms looping around his neck, bringing their faces close together. Minho’s cheeks turned a pretty red shade and his eyes widened. Seungmin giggled.

“Are you sure that _you’re_ not going to be a blushing mess, _hyung_?”, he teased, breaking Minho out of his daze. He glared at Seungmin, “Yah! The lack of respect-!”, but soon giggled along with him. “I wasn’t expecting you to be chill like this”, he admitted.

“I’m pretty chill about this kind of stuff”. Seungmin slid out of Minho’s lap and sat beside him with his legs crossed. “Should we set some boundaries?”

“Yeah, let’s do that. If I scar you for life, Chan’s going to kill me. He’s very protective of his kids”, Minho smiled sweetly, but Seungmin didn’t miss the mocking tone.

“Hey! I’m not a kid!”, he flung his hand at Minho, who only laughed. “Yeah, sure, baby Seungie~”

Seungmin glowered at him until something seemed to click, “and what are you, _hyung_ , blushing just from an inexperienced kid on your lap?”, he fake pouted and Minho’s laugh came to a halt and he tackled Seungmin, “That’s it, I’m getting the Air Fryer!”, Seungmin got up and ran away with Minho on his heel, “You’re bonier than Hyunjin, ten minutes at 180ºC will suffice!”

They teased each other for who knows how long before Hyunjin arrived with Jisung and Felix on his tail to find Minho ready to shove a tissue down Seungmin’s throat. The three of them jumped Minho, who screamed mutiny as he was thrown off the couch in a messy pile of limbs, the attack only stopping when they saw Minho’s wounds, which he had completely forgotten about.

When he went to sleep that night, he prayed his parents had a strong heart, because he was going to take them for a wild ride. At least he wasn’t crying or feeling cold or alone for that matter. He looked at Hyunjin, Jisung and Seungmin spread around him on the bed. He smiled and fixed a rogue strand of hair that had fallen dangerously close to Jisung’s eye, before closing his eyes to finally get some rest.


	2. No turning back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minho coughed lightly to clear his throat, “Yeah, this is the Seungmin I’ve talked about”, he tried to sound nonchalant, “but he’s not a friend, mom, he’s my boyfriend”, Minho forced his smile back on his face and waited for the information to sink in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup babies :3 2Min’s fake/pretend adventure begins! Or: 2Min’s mission to shove Minho’s gayness on his parents’ faces begins! :D  
>  **Content Warning:** I’d like to mention that this might be a bit triggering if you have difficulties reading about homophobic behaviour and language, more so than last chapter. I used actual phrases that I’ve heard a friend’s father say in this, so yeah, it might feel a bit too real to some people D: It’s nothing too~ heavy, but there’s the use of the “f word” and mild violence. If you’re sensitive to this kind of content I suggest discretion D: be safe, there are _so many works_ here on Ao3, don’t read this if you’re sensitive to the content.
> 
> Chapter’s title from TOP by SKZ. Felix’s line <3
> 
> **Don’t repost this anywhere without my explicit permission, please and thanks.**

December 22

“Should we revise the boundaries we set?”, Minho asked as he played with the ring that adorned his finger as his leg bounced uncontrollably. He got it as his “fake dating” ring and it matched the one Seungmin was wearing; two simple silver metal bands that weren’t too thick and had a small zirconia to ‘give them a bling’, as Minho had put to Seungmin.

“If it’ll make you more comfortable, hyung”, Seungmin glanced quickly at him, trying not to take his attention away from the road ahead for too long.

“Ok, so. Kissing is ok, but only light kisses. Hugs, back-hugs, holding hands, arms and leaning on each other is fine”, Minho listed and waited for Seungmin to respond.

“Yes, exactly. I’d rather not have your stinky saliva in my mouth more than necessary, thank you”, Seungmin teased Minho, this time in an attempt to calm down his hyung who was clearly freaking out.

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to catch rabies from you either”, he half-laughed, but glared at him all the same. Actually he wouldn’t mind actually kissing Seungmin – he had kissed much worse people after all – and it’d be much more convincing, but the boy had set the boundary and Minho wasn’t going to push it.

“Relax, hyung, it’ll be fine”, Seungmin assured him. “You said I can drop the honourifics, right? Are you sure you won’t come for my ass later?”, he slowed the car to a stop as he approached a red light and looked at Minho. This was a side of him Seungmin didn’t see often. Minho was what most would call a “confident gay”, so seeing him nervously shaking and biting at his lip was sort of new. He couldn’t say he hadn’t been informed he’d be like this, though – Chan had had a serious talk with him the day prior.

“You know, Minho is much more… delicate… than you think, Seungie”, he had told him. “If you’re not going to follow through, if you’re in just for a joke or something, drop the act”, he locked his eyes with Seungmin and, shit, it wasn’t often Chan got that serious.

_“I’m not, hyung, I’m going to help him for real”_ , Seungmin had defended himself while holding Chan’s stare. _“And Minho-hyung can handle himself, I’m sure.”_

_“No no, Seungminie, listen”_ , he'd put both hands on his shoulder. _“Minho will be in a very vulnerable position. You’ll have to be there for him if he breaks. And he might actually break this time. His relationship with his father hasn’t been the best…”_ , he sighed, _“This might be the breaking point”_ , Seungmin had nodded, had reassured Chan he’d do his best and now he could see that he’d really have to. Minho was a mess by his side. He was sweating slightly and he was fidgeting, playing with his fingers and alternating the intensity of the heater from the lowest to the highest setting every thirty seconds or so. He looked out the window, then back at Seungmin, then at the road like a cat hunting a toy, except his target seemed to be inexistent.

“I won’t, I won’t”, Minho finally laughed and looked at Seungmin. “You do remember the safety sentence, right?”, his smile dropped a little to give space to his anxiety again.

“I do, hyung”, he rolled his eyes, “If any of us say ‘I think I heard my phone ring’ the other steps away.”

“Good good”, Minho nodded. The lights turned green and the conversation died for a minute, until Minho felt anxious again. “Do you remember their names?”

“Sungho and Ayeong”, Seungmin answered instantly, “I won’t forget, don’t worry. You know I have good memory.”

Minho knew. Seungmin sometimes would fish things that happened months before to piss Minho off, so he knew. But it was good hearing him confirm their names, because as overbearing as his parents were, they knew Minho well enough to know he’d never skip mentioning them to the person he was dating, especially someone he was supposedly head over heals with.

Seungmin whistled when he saw the entrance to Minho’s house. “Hyung, I knew you were rich, but damn”, and Minho giggled. He rolled down the window and waved to the security guy by the gate, the man smiling brightly at him and opening the entrance for them. “Doyun, are my parents home already?”, he asked him as Seungmin stopped the car next to him.

“Yes, Minnie, they’re by the pool I think! Brought a friend this time?”, the guard leaned on the window to take a look and Seungmin greeted him with a shy ‘hi~’.

“Oh, actually”, Minho looked at Seungmin and purposely grabbed his hand that sported the ring, “this is my boyfriend Seungmin, please help him around if you find him lost”, he beamed as cutely as he could at the guard, exuding all the happiness he could gather, and tried hard not to laugh at the guard’s shocked face.

“Uh, nice to meet you Seungmin-ssi”, Doyun said automatically, but glanced at Minho like he couldn’t believe what he had heard.

“Nice to meet you, Doyun-ssi. You can call me Seungie or Seungmin”, he beamed as well, trying to stretch his smile even bigger than Minho’s. Doyun nodded slowly and stepped away from the window, letting them drive into the property.

“Did you see his face?”, Minho cackled, his eyes tearing up from laughing. Seungmin just shook his head and manoeuvred the cart to park it behind what he assumed were the parents’ car.

“Before we go in…”, he called after Minho, who was already getting out of the car. “Yes?”

“I just want to make sure…”, he sighed and turned fully to Minho, “I know we discussed things but this is really ok, right? Won’t you be like… disinherited or something?”, he looked worried at him.

“I don’t think so, no”, Minho pondered, a finger to his lips, “I thought about it, but I don’t think my parents will go that far, they love me”, he smiled cutely in a way that not even Seungmin could resist smiling back despite his racing mind. But from what he had heard Chan say, Minho was going to be just as surprised as his parents, and Chan’s warning hanged heavy on his heart, he couldn’t fuck this up.

He took a deep breath. “Ok, then let’s get this show rolling, baby”, he opened the door and they moved to get their bags in the back of the car, then walked in silence to the huge double doors that stood imposing at the entrance.

Minho took him to his room, that really was almost as big as Chan and Changbin’s apartment so they could drop their stuff. They had agreed to share the bed. It wasn’t a big deal, really, they slept the eight of them on the three-seats couch of Seungmin and Felix’s place all the time, and not many days before he had shared a bed with Minho, Jisung and Hyunjin, so the couple bed with just the two of them was a substantial improvement in Seungmin’s point of view. The context was a bit weird, sure, but they could handle it.

Then Minho showed him around the house, no no, the mansion. Seungmin couldn’t even count how many rooms they had passed, the long corridors seeming to merge together in his mind. The living room was most definitely larger than Chan’s place. And if you added the _second_ living room, well, that might add up to be larger than his place and Chan’s together. Then there was the dining room, the private cinema, the kitchen, _kitchen number two_ , and the games room… the house was never-ending. The decoration varied from one section to the other, but somehow all the designs were congruent and elegant, each transitioning seamlessly to the other.

“My mother decorated the whole house, from the tiles on the floor to the lights on the ceiling”, he said adoringly.

“She has really good taste. It’s all so beautiful…”, he looked around in awe. “Why don’t you live here, again?”, Seungmin asked, a dumb look on his face that made Minho snort.

“Because my parents manage to make even this mansion seem too small”, he answered and Seungmin could see the hurt in Minho’s eyes even as he kept his smile. It felt weird. Minho wasn’t one to hide how he felt, always blunt and straightforward. It was one of the reasons they clashed so often; Minho’s lack of filter. Seeing him hide behind a mask just by being in the house, without his parents even present made Seungmin’s chest tighten painfully. He swallowed dryly, “Of course, sorry”.

“It’s ok”, Minho said, but didn’t look at Seungmin’s eyes. “Ready to the first round?”, he finally looked at him, his signature evil grin strangely calming, given the circumstance. “Yeah, let’s hit them with the first blow.”

⟣⟢

They were both resting by the ginormous pool, backs turned at them. Minho took his hand and squeezed lightly, and Seungmin squeezed it back. They looked at each other and Seungmin nodded at Minho.

“Hey! Mom, father!”, Minho smiled as they stopped in front of them.

“Minnie, my baby!”, his mother got up and hugged him, Seungmin letting go off his hand so he could embrace her properly, but taking it back as soon as he released her. His father didn’t get up, but greeted him cheerfully from the chair. “What happened to your lip, baby?”

“Oh, nothing, I opened a cabinet right on my face”, Minho giggled, playing it off smoothly. Seungmin should’ve thought that he had planned an excuse beforehand.

“And who is this beautiful boy?”, she smiled, “A new friend?”, he cocked her head to the side, the action so _Minho_ that Seungmin tittered.

“Hi, I’m Kim Seungmin”, he kissed her hand and gave her his best puppy smile. That was the first approach they had agreed on. Maybe if they could make his mother like Seungmin she’d side with Minho and talk some sense into his father’s mind. Minho had told him she was not keen on the idea of him being gay, but that it was probably just bitterness because she’d not have any grandchildren due to it. At least that’s what Minho thought, and they were counting that he was right.

“Oh! Min-Min has talked about you before!”, she smiled and Seungmin was taken aback. Minho had talked about him? He looked at him, but Minho was looking away, trying to hide a blush that Seungmin saw anyway. Oh, he’d have to tease him about that later. “So not a new friend to him, but surely new to us! Minnie doesn’t bring his friend here much, I’m glad he’s finally brought you!”, she rambled a bit and Seungmin only smiled at her, the next move was Minho’s after all. He tightened his grip on Minho’s hand to bring him back to Earth, the boy apparently had dozed off and forgot he had to talk.

Minho coughed lightly to clear his throat, “Yeah, this is the Seungmin I’ve talked about”, he tried to sound nonchalant, “but he’s not a friend, mom, he’s my boyfriend”, Minho forced his smile back on his face and waited for the information to sink in.

Seungmin and Minho watched the scene unfold as if it was a movie. Ayeong’s eyes widened and she took a step back with a hand to her heart as Sungho got up, anger evident in his face when he shoved the chair back, making it hit the floor with a loud bang. Ayeong looked at him in shock and he pushed her to the side to stand in front of both of them. “You said he’s your _what_?”, Sungho said in a grave voice, and it made Minho clench his hand harder.

“My boyfriend, father”, Minho repeated, and Seungmin had to admit he had guts. If it were him and his father looked this furious he wasn’t sure he could do it. Minho didn’t even let his voice falter, which was also quite impressive by Seungmin’s standards.

“You’re still going on with this _nonsense_?!”, he shouted and it startled his mother, who flinched and tried to pull him back when he took a step closer to Minho, invading his personal space and looking down at him. He pointed a finger at his face, “I didn’t raise a fag, Lee Minho. You better stop with this stupidity!”

Seungmin schooled his expression on willpower alone. Chan was right, this was not going to be pretty. He side glanced at Minho to check how he was doing, but he didn’t even react, and it pained Seungmin, because he knew that it probably meant he had been talked to like that before.

Minho’s hold on his hand weakened and Seungmin searched his face for anything that would indicate he had to do something. But Minho’s expression melted into a look that Seungmin knew well; the dead-eyed look that he always had when he was pissed off. And a pissed of Minho could be fun (Seungmin liked to tease him for a reason), but not in this situation; it meant a storm coming. Seungmin looked back at Sungho, saw his fists closed tight, knuckles white from the force, saw his scarlet red face with eyebrows knitted together, the whole facial expression very ugly and hateful. It made him scared of what he could do if Minho said the wrong thing. So he watched him carefully.

“The only stupid thing here is you thinking I can just stop being gay. It’s part of who I am, I didn’t wake up one day and decided I’d like men”, Minho said in an almost mechanical voice, so levelled it was, as if he had trained to say the words beforehand.

Sungho sighed and rubbed his face in frustration, much like Minho always did when he'd teased him past the line of acceptable. “I’m not going to repeat myself again, Minho”, he said between gritted teeth and pointed at Minho’s face again. “You’re doing this just to spite me, aren’t you?”, he passed the hand he had been pointing at Minho through his hair and breathed out, “It’s fine, don’t marry Areum then, we can find another girl of your liking, there are other investors with beautiful young daughters”, he said in a much calmer voice.

“No! Which part didn’t you understand? _I’m fucking gay!_ ”, he shouted, the false calm demeanour dying out as quickly as he had put it on. Seungmin clenched his hand, trying to signal for him to calm down. Yet, things weren’t going as planned and Minho was so done with his parents taking away the control over his own life.

“I fucking _knew_ that those two fag friends of yours would be a bad influence!”, he turned to Ayeong, “I told you! But you were _so_ sure things would be fine!”, Ayeong opened her mouth to say something, but closed it with a raise of Sungho’s hand.

“Really? You think Chan dating Felix has anything to do with me?!”, Minho sneered, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Minho”, Sungho sighed, “just stop this. You’re not a fag, you’ve even dated women before!”

“Yeah, when I didn’t know shit about myself and just did whatever you wanted!”, Minho’s voice wavered and Seungmin looked worried at him, squeezed his hand for support.

His father groaned, “Lee Minho, you’re going to end this disgusting behaviour right now! This is outrageous! It’s against human nature!”

“I’m not doing shit! You’re the one that has to stop being a homophobic bastard!”, Minho’s head swung the side with the blow. Seungmin looked horrified at Minho’s father and moved to stand in front of Minho to avoid anything else to happen. Minho’s mother gasped and launched to stop Sungho from going at Seungmin. “Honey! Stop this!”, she cried.

“He needs a good beating to wake up, Ayeong! Stay out of this!”, he pushed her away and she stumbled. Seungmin wanted to catch her, but he couldn’t find it in himself to leave his place between Minho and Sungho, so he watched as she fell on her knees to the ground. Minho tried to move around him, but Seungmin tightened his grip painfully to grab Minho’s attention. They couldn’t back down now, otherwise his father would just keep going at him.

“Sir, I think it’s best if you calm down, violence won’t solve anything”, he spoke as calmly and stable as he could. He felt Minho tug at his shirt behind him, but stood his ground.

“You stay out of this, you nasty faggot!”, Sungho raised his hand, Seungmin flinched and lifted his arm to protect himself, but Ayeong caught her husband’s arm. “Please, dear, stop this!”, she sobbed.

Minho laced his hand with Seungmin’s once more and stepped out from behind him, his cheek still red from the slap. “Enough, father”, Minho swallowed the lump on his throat, “Stop this or I’m going to leave and I won’t come back”, he said grimly, eyes locked with Sungho’s.

His father gawked at him, “You can’t be serious…”

“I love Seungmin and I want to stay with him”, Minho said softly and side-hugged Seungmin. “If you can’t accept it, I’ll leave for good”. Sungho’s eyes widened and he held his breath, making Seungmin look at Minho to see what had made the man react in such a way.

Seungmin’s own eyes widened; Minho was crying. Not sobbing, just tears rolling down his cheeks as his lips quivered. Seungmin was sure Minho wasn’t one to cry easily and something about the way he was crying made his heart throb. He reached his free hand to Minho’s cheek and gently wiped the tear away with the back of his finger. Minho looked at him and said a quiet sorry that broke his heart. “No, baby, it’s ok. You can cry”, Seungmin said, releasing his hand from Minho’s and letting it join the other in cupping his face.

Minho almost let himself melt in Seungmin’s touch, the boy’s expression so soft and caring in contrast to his father’s hateful one. He breathed in slowly and let his eyes flutter closed for a moment to recollect himself as Seungmin hugged him, caressing his head kindly. He could hear his mother and father talking like they were far away, could hear his father telling her he didn’t want “that man” on his house, that he had corrupted his son.

“Look at them! He’s so sweet to our Minnie! Let’s watch them and see how things go, sweetheart”, Ayeong whispered to Sungho, and Minho opened his eyes to see Seungmin looking fondly at him. “Fine, but you’ll see, he’s just faking it. My son is not a fag!”, he heard his father whisper back, and he sighed in relief; phase one was complete. Seungmin smiled at him, probably thinking the same thing. Minho didn’t want to push his luck though, so he quickly excused himself, pulling Seungmin along with him, his mother begging him not to leave.

“I’ll be in my room, mom, don’t worry.”

Once in the privacy of his room, he flopped face first on the bed, Seungmin sitting next to him and getting comfortable on the various pillows that occupied almost half the bed and brushing his hair leisurely. Minho let himself relax, felt the tension on his shoulders leaving. He let the tears wet his covers, didn’t bother to hide his whimpers. Seungmin sat beside him and put a hand on his back, silent.

“So, I might be wrong, but I think that was some sort of success”, Minho said eventually, rolling over to look at Seungmin with a big smile on his face as if he hadn’t cried his eyes out.

“It looked like so. You wanted to win over your mother, and we kind of did”, helay and turned on his side to face Minho, “but are you ok? I can’t believe he…”

“Yeah, I’m fine now, thank you for… you know…”, he blushed and turned again to lie on his back, looking at the ceiling.

“Feeling shy, baby?”, Seungmin teased and Minho groaned. Obviously, Seungmin would not let him have peace for a second. “Were you shy as well when you talked about me to your mother?”, he giggled.

“Fuck off, Seungie, I talk about all my friends to my mother”, he scoffed. “Which has proved useful as off now. She probably feels like she knows you, so it was easy to get her to like you.”

“Oh, so you told her good things about me, Minnie, how sweet”, he continued to poke at Minho.

“Seungie, baby, I’m going to get the tissues if you don’t shut up”, Minho’s smile didn’t reach his eyes when he looked at him and Seungmin had to hold back a laugh; he didn’t want to swallow tissues.

“Ok, fine, but I am curious, hyung, what did you tell her about me?”, he asked seriously, and Minho sighed heavily. “I told her you’re an annoying person that pisses me off all the time”, he started and Seungmin giggled, “and I told her that even so you’re a good kid that cherishes your friends and is nice enough to let me tease you without actually holding a grudge”, Seungmin blushed at Minho’s words and tried to hide it, but Minho saw it and jumped him, “Ahwn, look who’s blushing now, my cute Seungie~”, he said as he tickled Seungmin, making the boy struggle not to laugh.

“Hyung…”, Seungmin looked at him uncertain, “what would you have done if he had told you then to leave?”

“I’d have left”, Minho shrugged. “I have some savings…”

“Are you sure it’d be ok?”, Seungmin asked. “We haven’t done anything yet and he’s already flipping. Things might get even more heated next time…”

“I’m taking this until the end, Seungie, but if you’re uncomfortable we can stop”, Minho frowned.

“No, no… I’m fine, I’m just worried you’re going to regret it later”, Seungmin shrugged.

Minho smiled, “I’ll be fine. I won’t regret it. Thank you for having my back”, he snickered, “You really are a good _kid”_ , Seungmin rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at Minho, which started a fiery war.

Their little fun was interrupted by a knock on the door. They froze and looked at each other, their hairs ruffled and clothes misaligned as Minho straddled Seungmin with a pillow ready to strike. Minho smirked, lied beside Seungmin and pulled him to hold him as they faced each other. “Let’s pretend I’m sleeping, you talk to her!”, he whispered and tucked his head on Seungmin’s chest, not even waiting for a response.

Seungmin shook his head and grinned, but stretched his arms around Minho as well, and as quietly as he could he urged Ayeong to come in.

“Is he…?”, she said quietly and Seungmin nodded. “I’m really sorry about Sungho…”, he sat at the edge of the bed. “He can be… temperamental”, she looked apologetic, and it made Seungmin feel bad for her in a way. She had tried to intervene and only ended up hurt as well.

“Are you ok? You fell down when he pushed you…”, he asked. Ayeong smiled and nodded. “I’m fine, don’t worry your pretty head…”, she paused, clearly wanting to say something but unsure, so he urged her with a friendly smile. “Do you really love him?”, she asked, and it caught Seungmin off guard. He looked at Minho on his arms, cheeks heating up with the prospect of Minho hearing him say something like that.

Minho didn’t know how much he liked him, he was sure. He hadn’t known as well until the day he saw that troglodyte try to hit him in front of the cafe, until he saw the bruise on his cheek and felt like he was the one that was hurt. His feelings had struck him like a rock, and he watched himself agree to be Minho’s fake boyfriend without thinking about the consequences, just ready to do anything he could to keep Minho safe. The following week he’d had a hard time hiding his feelings. They had been friends – frenemies? – for so long, and out of (what seemed to him) absolutely _nowhere_ he wanted Minho to himself.

The night he had agreed to help Minho he had barely slept, replaying countless instances where he felt _something_ strongly towards him but didn’t know what it was. Most times it felt like annoyance. And surely, it was somewhat a type of annoyance; at Minho being touchy with Jisung, at Felix being touchy with Minho, at Chan and Minho being just generally close, at Minho teasing Hyunjin… basically he’d been jealous of Minho being close to anyone but him. Which was understandable, he always found a way to tease him and somehow ended up in a loophole in which he’d tease Minho, and he would tease back, and they’d end up fighting. It never lasted, one of them always apologised, but he could se why he’d always end up teasing Minho: fast and guaranteed way of getting his attention. Geez, Minho was right, he was a complete brat.

In a way he was glad his brain had short-circuited and he had agreed to fake-date Minho, it was a good excuse to be somewhat anxious around him. He also knew how perceptive Minho could be, so he worried he’d catch on, but he had done a good job so far. Now it wouldn’t be any different. He had to say the words nonetheless to keep their façade, so why not get it out of his chest and play it as good acting?

He gulped and looked straight into her eyes, felt the dryness in his throat. “I love him the most.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, yeah! That turned out heavier than I had intended in the beginning… and mushier than I had intended by the end. I don’t know how that happened.
> 
> Next chapter is coming soon. I plan on posting it the day after tomorrow :3
> 
> Kudos are soooooo appreciated <3 Feel free to leave a comment as well~
> 
> You can also find me on tt and cc for questions or whatever really :3
> 
> **Don’t repost this anywhere without my explicit permission, please and thanks.**


	3. I won't take my foot off the gas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Finally you said something right, father, I was starting to think you didn’t have the necessary intellect”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiii :3 For those that are still reading this: thank you. Thank all of you that left a kudo and/or a comment, really, those made my day 🥺
> 
> I absolutely hate reading angst in any type, shape or form… and what do I do? Yeah, exactly, I don’t get myself either. This fic will have a happy ending, I swear xD
> 
> ps.: abeonim = a polite way to call your father/father-in-law when speaking to them. I don’t speak Korean though, so keep that in mind.
> 
> Chapter’s name from “TOP” by SKZ. Han’s line.
> 
> **Don’t repost this anywhere without my explicit permission, please and thanks.**

“Well, that was convincing”, Minho whispered the moment his mother left the room.

Seungmin swallowed and made a quick assessment of Minho’s expression to see if he meant anything more by that. He really didn’t need Minho finding out his newfound crush on him right there and then. Minho already had so much to deal with, he didn’t want to overwhelm him. Also, Minho didn’t like him, and he didn’t want to face rejection so soon – he wasn’t ready. At the split second he searched his eyes, he saw nothing but amusement, which was probably at his mother being “fooled” so easily.

“You think so?”, he gulped, his nervousness at possibly being caught by Minho very useful to fool Minho into believing he was worried about his mother's perception of the whole thing. What a mess.

His heart was hammering in his chest and he really hoped it wasn’t noticeable even with Minho still on his arms. Minho was so pretty from this angle. Well, from any angle. He could admit that even before knowing he liked him, but now it was like he could finally _see_.It was like he’d had blindfolds on the whole time, only seeing through the dark fabric. And now he had the full view – long lashes, perfect nose, big eyes, soft hair in the most beautiful brown shade, plump lips that he would do anything to ki- no, better to stop there.

“Yeah, you left her speechless, bro”, he smiled. “I’m taking a shower and heading to bed, what about you?”

“Yeah, sure sure, me too. You go first”, he rolled away from Minho and took his phone.

Minho entered the shower and replayed the day in his mind. So much had gone so different from what he had planned. He felt like everything was crumbling down around him. He’d never imagine his father would get violent with him. Sure, it was just a slap, but it had hurt like he’d been shot.

He crouched on the bathroom floor and let the burning hot water hit his back. At least like that he wouldn’t have to feel the coldness of his tears.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped. “Seungmin, are you trying to kill me?!”, he gasped.

“I don’t know, hyung, seems to me like you’re the one trying to burn yourself alive”, Seungmin frowned. Minho looked up at him to see he had his clothes still on. “You’re getting wet”, he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and blinked the tears away.

“Doesn’t matter”, he kneeled beside Minho and cradled him on his arms. “You shouldn’t cry alone, hyung. It’s unhealthy…”

Minho scoffed and leaned on him, letting himself enjoy the contact and rested his head on Seungmin’s chest. “Who told you that?”

“A dude called Bang Chan”, Seungmin smiled. “He also said hugs are the best cure for sadness.”

“Well, I guess this Bang Chan dude knows shit”, Minho smiled and closed his eyes.

Eventually the hot water ran out and both of them ended up in bed cuddled together.

“Are you going to hold me all night?”, Minho asked shyly.

“Yes, hyung. Sleep tight.”

⟣⟢

December 23

Morning in the Lee’s house was a family thing. Minho woke Seungmin up by seven, urging him out of bed and into the bathroom, just to have breakfast with his parents. Seungmin dressed up in his best dandy look, hoping it’d be up to Minho’s mother’s standards and styled his hair neatly.

“It’s too obvious you’re trying to impress them”, Minho scowled.

“Isn't that good? If I’m supposedly in love with you I should try my best to impress them”, Seungmin had argued, and Minho agreed, not bothering to put on as much effort, just shrugging on a t-shirt and some shorts.

“So that’s how you are when you’re crushing hard, huh”, Minho teased.

Seungmin blushed. Oh, if Minho only knew. “Y-yeah, I guess”, he looked at him and tittered, “I’m the sweet and passionate type, what can I say?”

“You don’t fool me, Seungie”, Minho smirked, “You’re totally the passionate and kinky type.”

Seungmin felt the colour drain from his face. Holy shit, just how perceptive was Lee Minho? “I’m not”, he said before it was too late.

“Sure sure”, Minho laughed, “You think you’re so discreet, but you forget I live with Hyunjin…”

“Wait…”, Seungmin goggled at him, “You heard…”, Minho cackled, rolling on the bed. “Oh geez, your face is _everything_!”, he wiped the tears gathering in his eyes, “Yeah, I heard Jinnie and you.”

Seungmin groaned and hid behind his hands. He never wished so bad that a hole opened on the ground and swallowed him whole. “Fuck, I told him to be quiet…”, he mumbled.

“Hey, don’t be like that, it was kind of hot”, Minho said between laughs.

“God, I hate you”, he groaned and threw a pillow at him. “No, you don’t~”, Minho singsonged, and Seungmin hated that he was right. “Yeah, I don’t, but I should”, he mumbled. “Stop blushing and let's go, you big baby”, Minho got up and straightened his shirt.

With hands together, they entered the sun room his parents had chosen to start their morning and sat down side by side, greeting good morning with shy smiles. Minho squeezed Seungmin’s hand under the table and he squeezed back. It was mission start.

“Oh, good morning darlings! Seungmin, you should teach Minho how to dress properly, you have great taste!”, she gave him a trained smile. Seungmin smiled back at her and threw Minho a glance, smirking slightly in a “see? I’m a genius” kind of way. Minho huffed and squeezed his hand painfully as a comeback.

“Good morning! Minho dresses himself well, only not in the mornings”, he laughed and Ayeong joined him for a moment, before Sungho coughed, putting his teacup down and grabbing the newspaper, catching her attention. She cleared her throat and smiled shyly at Seungmin. Minho made a smart comment about his fashion sense despite his father distaste of the conversation anyway after greeting them.

“By the way, that was her fake smile the whole time”, Minho whispered to Seungmin, making him pout.

Sungho didn’t greet them, but they pretended nothing was going on, talked about nothings with Minho’s mother while Minho fed Seungmin grapes. His father glared intensely at them the whole time, but said nothing, and his mother looked rather uncomfortable as well, but didn’t mention anything and kept conversation going.

⟣⟢

Afternoon, his parents were once again by the pool, and Minho and Seungmin had the perfect opportunity to flaunt their lovey-dovey act on them.

Minho passed Seungmin the sunscreen and he goggled at him. “Babe, do you mind?”, he batted his eyelashes, almost making Seungmin splutter. Lee Minho would be the death of him; if he wasn’t sure before, he became aware then. “Sure, baby, lie down for me”, he managed to say.

Minho lay down with his stomach down and used his arms as a pillow. He turned his head to the side his parents couldn’t see his face and mouthed a silent “tickle me and you’re dead”, Seungmin gulped and smiled innocently at him when he noticed Ayeong eyeing them. He splattered some cream on his hand and started to spread it on Minho’s shoulders, then his shoulder blades and down to his lower back, shifting the pressure of his fingers as he moved and massaging the skin, admiring how soft it felt on his fingertips. Minho’s eyes fluttered shut and he let out a shaky breath, “God, babe, your hands are magical”, he half-moaned. Seungmin felt something twitch in his pants, but ignored it. Not the time for that, nope. No no. He looked down at Minho in disbelief, wasn’t the moan too much? And Minho had that glint in his eyes that said he was up for mischief. Seungmin could do with some mischief as well. “Thanks, darling, turn around for me.”

They took the chance to glance at Minho’s parents. Sungho had his mouth shut in a thin line, his hands gripped the newspaper so tight that the edges were scrunched under his fingers in a way Minho was sure he wouldn’t be able to read what was written on that part anymore. Good, good. His mother had her fancy sunglasses on, so he couldn’t tell what the hell she was thinking, but just his father’s reaction was enough to say she was probably freaking out as well.

Minho flipped on the sun lounger while Seungmin grabbed more sunscreen. He inclined over Minho and started with his collarbones, then went down to his pecs, where he stopped to discreetly rub his nipples. He watched Minho’s reaction as he did so, the way his cheeks flamed and his eyes widened at him. Seungmin smirked and moved to his abs, tracing the soft mounts there with the tip of his fingers, going down and down, until Minho grabbed his hand, stopping his motions altogether. They stared at each other, breaths caught on their throats, Minho’s mouth slightly open as he licked his lips.

Fuck, Seungmin was going to be the death of him. The kid didn’t have any idea how sensitive he was. He had to admit it was his fault this time, he didn’t expect Seungmin’s hands to feel this good. But then again, he should’ve guessed that those long fingers would be his doom. He didn’t even _like_ the brat all that much, but shit, he was hot when he started down at him like that while teasing him. Or was he not aware of what he was doing? Minho wasn’t sure, he couldn’t read what the hell went on in Seungmin’s head; he was a mystery. Most times that annoyed him, but right there and then he kind of wanted Seungmin to fuck him under the sunlight. A thread seemed to snap and Minho saw Seungmin recompose himself, that annoyingly cute smile spreading all innocent again. Yeah, he didn’t want Seungmin to do anything. He didn’t. Seungmin was an annoying little shit, he didn’t want that. “I think that’s enough, babe, let’s swim a bit?”, Minho said through his teeth.

“Uh, y-yeah, let me just put on my sunscreen and we can go, baby”, he gulped. That was the “I’m going to end you” smile that Minho had on. He’d be drowned, he could feel it, but if he was going to drown he might as well make it worth it. “Mind helping me with my back, too?”

Minho narrowed his eyes, “No problem, sweetheart, come here”. He made sure to grip Seungmin’s shoulders hard, making him wince, before quickly finishing his task.

Seungmin carried Minho on his back around the pool, smiling sweetly as Minho giggled as loudly as he could without looking suspicious. Minho ran after Seungmin around the pool to push him in, not wanting to miss the opportunity to get back at him when he couldn’t exactly fight back. Seungmin emerged from the water and glared at Minho. He got out of the pool and pulled Minho in with him, both splashing water everywhere, which earned them a warning from his mother.

They swam to the farther corner of the pool, and Seungmin used his body to conceal Minho once they reached the edge, his back towards Minho’s parents as they grumbled quietly. “You really had to push me, huh?”, Seungmin complained as he put a hand on Minho’s shoulder. Minho snaked his hands around his waist and pulled him closer. Seungmin was glad the sun was high on the sky and the bright light made Minho squint, because he was sure he was blushing.

“Well, it was all for the cute loving couple act, you know”, Minho shrugged, a sly smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, sure, not you trying to fuck with me and my recently washed hair”, Seungmin put his other hand on Minho’s nape and joined their foreheads. From where Minho’s parents were, it would surely look like they were kissing. Seungmin wanted that to be real. Minho was so close to him, closer than ever since Minho was never touchy with him like he was with the others, namely one Han Jisung.

He looked gorgeous with his wet hair sticking to his forehead like he had run a mile, the glow and red on his skin fit his cute face perfectly. Seungmin’s eyes traveled down to his lips and his collarbones, to the soft expanse of his chest and his nipples. And that’s where he stopped and looked back up. He didn’t need any accidents happening right in front of Minho, so he stayed locked on his eyes.

Minho held his breath for a moment and slowly exhaled, looked away from Seungmin’s intense stare. What was he doing? Minho felt self-conscious with him this close and looking at him like _that_. Maybe he was actually angry because of his hair? Angry Seungmin was kind of hot, he had to admit. Well, it wasn’t like he had a reason not to admit it. He was gay and Seungmin was hot. It was normal to react to him being close, even if they didn’t exactly get along all the time. “Do you think they think we’re kissing?”

“I think that’s what it’d look like, that’s why I’m hiding you, duh”, Seungmin rolled his eyes.

“Maybe it’s not substantial enough”, Minho bit his lip.

“What? You want to put up a show, baby?”, his eyebrow twitched.

“Yeah, I think it’s best if we do”, Seungmin watched him with wide eyes. “W-wait, really?”, he asked again for confirmation. They had agreed that they’d kiss in front of them, but now that it was real he was nervous.

Minho squeezed his waist twice. “If you’re uncomfortable with that we don’t have to.”

Oh, Seungmin was very uncomfortable with the idea. Not because he didn’t want to kiss Minho, obviously, but what if Minho noticed something through the kiss? He squeezed twice, fuck it. He wasn’t going to pass on likely his only chance to kiss Lee Minho, and there was no way he’d notice anything.

Minho pulled him closer and Seungmin closed his eyes as their lips brushed softly. The kiss was superficial, as they had agreed, just a delicate and chaste drag of their mouths, slow and testing. They pulled back a bit and looked at each other. Minho’s eyes were round as they looked at his, his breaths coming in short gasps. And there wasn’t much Minho could do, he was caught off-guard again by how good Seungmin felt. Seungmin pulled Minho into the kiss again and Minho shifted them around so his parents would have the perfect side view of their little intimate moment. They heard Minho’s mother gasp and Minho smiled into the kiss, making Seungmin struggle not to laugh.

Soon they got lost in their own little world though. The kiss was nice and warm, surprisingly not unpleasant under the heat of the summer sun, and their mouths slotted perfectly against each other. Minho’s grasp on his waist tightened and he pulled Seungmin closer, and he responded by tangling his fingers gently on Minho’s hair. Minho panted into his mouth and nipped at his lip, and Seungmin forgot for a moment that all of it was fake. He licked Minho’s lower lip tentatively and Minho licked him back. And what had started of as a simple display to prove that Minho was more than gay, turned into a heated collision of tongues and hot puffs of breath, with teeth scraping lips and hands wandering unexplored territories. Minho let his hands travel the expanse of Seungmin’s back, his abs and his chest, squeezing him lightly to feel the skin give in under his fingers. Somewhere far far away Minho heard a cough and a grunt, followed by some curse word. Seungmin’s hands gripped Minho’s waist tightly, tugged lightly at his hair and then moved to clasp his ass. Minho moaned softly against his mouth and jumped to wrap his legs around Seungmin’s hips, who held him easily with the water making Minho feel weightless. Their hips lined up and both gasped at feeling each other’s hardness.

“Lee Minho!”, Sungho shouted from the edge of the pool, rupturing their bubble. They whipped their head to look at them, hairs mussled and lips plump and red from the kiss. “You stop this right now!”, he ordered and Minho bit the inside of his mouth.

“Sorry, we kind of got too into it”, he tried to look coy, but his smirk told Seungmin he was not a single bit embarrassed. At least not because of his father watching. He was blushing though, and Seungmin mentally high-fived himself. _He_ did that. He had kissed Lee Minho and he had made him blush, probably made him hard, and he was on cloud nine. “Sorry, sir. We’ll keep it PG”, Seungmin swore he could see steam coming out of Sungho’s ears.

“No! I didn’t raise you to be a degenerate, Minho!”, he looked at Ayeong, “You! Say something, isn’t he your son?!”

“Minnie, please, refrain from this kind of behaviour, it’s not appropriate! What would the neighbours think?”, his mother said whilst not looking at them, she had turned away when things started to get heated and covered her face with a fan.

“Don’t be like that! Things just got a little heated, we’ll behave”, Minho pouted.

Sungho ignored him and pointed at Seungmin, “You! Let go of him!”. Seungmin raised a brow and moved to put Minho on the pool floor again, but Minho locked his legs around him, and Seungmin looked questioningly at him. “No! Why? You didn’t mind my girlfriends drooling all over me!”, he scowled.

“ _For fucks sake, Minho!_ ”, his father shouted again, “This is completely different!”

“ _How so?!_ ”

“This is depraved, disgusting, dirty, sinful! You’re both men! It’s a disgrace to our family! To nature!”

Minho gaped at his father and glanced at his mother in a silent scream for help, but she only looked away. Seungmin put him down and held his hand when he wiggled around. Minho turned to the edge of the pool and climbed out, gesturing to Seungmin, who followed him in silence, regarding him carefully. Lee Minho was the kind of person that could be read as a book once you knew him, but it was a long book and Seungmin hadn’t read everything, so sometimes he felt lost. That was a moment he felt very lost. Minho had a sad expression on his face, but his lips were in a thin line in a way they only were when he was really angry. Like when Seungmin and Hyunjin switched his low carb cereals for the regular ones and it took a whole week for Minho to notice. Hyunjin ate tissues for dinner that day, and Seungmin only escaped because Minho never found out he was involved.

Minho stood in front of his father, way closer than Seungmin was comfortable with after what had happened the other day. “Do you wish for me to leave the house?”, Minho asked, the dead stare along with the curled in lips he sported making Seungmin feel anxious.

“What?”, Sungho frowned.

“What what? You call me and the person I love disgusting, dirty and depraved and you expect me to think you want me to stay?”, Minho raised an eyebrow. The way his father said was disrespectful and inelegant.

“N-no, baby!”, his mother finally chirped in, “Y-your father just wants you to behave, darling, he just got a little angry”, she looked at Sungho with pleading eyes.

The only sound they heard the next minute were the birds singing on the garden. Seungmin grew anxious and squeezed Minho’s hand. Minho squeezed it back. It was ok. Things were still under control.

“I don’t want you to leave, son. But you better keep your behaviour in check, or I will change my mind”, Sungho said and Minho nodded. Seungmin let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

At night he and Minho didn’t talk about the kiss. Minho could feel Seungmin was lying further to the edge of the bed and avoiding to look at him for too long. It was cute but also very annoying. Seungmin appeared to have a switch in him, that he was an embarrassed kid one second and _bam_ , Minho teased him and he turned into a hungry lion. The worst was that Minho like it. He didn’t like Seungmin though, just the duality. Even if his kiss sent him on a trip he never wanted to end. He was just frustrated. Yeah, that was it.

“If your mother wasn’t there he’d have disinherited you right there and then”, Seungmin said quietly.

Minho drawled out a sigh, “Y-yeah, I felt that too”, his voice wavered and Seungmin finally turned to him.

“We can stop this, you know? Just… give them time to accept?”, Seungmin squeezed his hand.

“No…”, Minho inhaled deeply, “I came out to them last year, Seungie. And not for a second have they considered my feelings, just repeated over and over that I’m their son and that I’m confused and that I should behave”, he shut his eyes to stop the tears.

“Ok, but…”, Seungmin scooted closer, “just have in mind, hyung… this might end up very differently than you intended in the beginning.”

“I know that now. Thank you, Seungie.”

⟣⟢

December 24

“Thank you for letting me stay”, Minho continued as he grabbed the juice, breaking the heavy silence.

Seungmin discreetly looked at them to check the reaction. His mother had a hurt expression, but his father was unreadable. No reaction whatsoever. Minho seemed to notice, but let the sentence hang in the air.

Minho looked at him and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Let’s start.”

After some minutes passed, it looked like neither Ayeong nor Sungho would say anything, so Seungmin decided to push a bit, “Baby, could you pass me the sugar, please?”, he smiled his best eye-reaching smile, knowing how puppy-like he looked. Minho caught on fast, smiled back brightly, passing him the item with a bright “here it goes, the sweetest things should stick together, right?”, to which Seungmin giggled and and shook his head, “You’re such a cheesy flirt, baby.”

The sound of a slam on the table startled them from their little scene, both of them, along with his mother, looking at Sungho. “Stop this, Minho”, his father glared at him. Minho looked at Seungmin in shock. That was fast, they had to almost hump each other the day before but Sungho was already flipping.

“Stop what?”, he feigned innocence, eyes wide in fake surprise darting to his mother as if asking if she knew what was wrong. She didn’t look much better, her expression much less explicit, but visibly affected by their little interaction. Minho could see she was trying her best, at least, even if she didn’t completely accept him yet.

“This is gross, how can you talk like that to him?”, Sungho asked, but likely wasn’t expecting Minho to answer, if the his utter disbelief as Minho responded said anything. “What? It’s the same way I talked to my ex-girlfriends. It’s cute, I like it. And we talked about not using that kind of word to describe us just yesterday, father, did you forget?”, Minho glared.

“He’s not your _girlfriend_ , though, Minho, and we had agreed you’d keep your good behaviour”, his mother whispered, as if there was a secret she was keeping. Minho wasn’t having any of that.

“Well, yeah, he’s my _boyfriend_. It’s the same. And I did nothing to be called on my behaviour”, he said as he took a bite of his sandwich, trying to seem indifferent of their tone.

“Ah, here we go again…”, his father sighed. “Look, uh, Seungbin-“

“Seung _min_ ”, Minho corrected instantly.

“Seungmin… my son is only confused. I’m sure you understand…”, Minho gaped at him. He couldn’t believe the audacity of his father, bypassing him, talking to his boyfriend – fake, but whatever – like that and still keeping up with the “confused straight” excuse after the pool incident.

Oh, Minho was far past the angry stage, he was seething. He looked at Seungmin and squeezed his hand twice.

Seungmin blanked for a second. He didn’t expect that signal so early in the morning. He hadn’t even finished his breakfast yet, geez! Minho was being rather brave for someone that was slapped the day he arrived and was almost disinherited were it not for his mother the day before. But who was he not to indulge his crazy boyfriend, right? He squeezed his hand twice back.

“Sungho-abeonim”, he started, not bothering to fight the smile that immediately appeared on his face, focused only on not laughing and keeping his voice steady, “your son is not confused. Trust me, I’d know”, he glanced at Minho and nudged the side of his face with his nose cutely, letting himself giggle only after Minho blushed and giggled first.

Sungho’s face was indescribable. Minho worried he’d actually broken his father when he froze in place with his mouth open. They could tell the second the name and the subtle comment hit him. But his silence didn’t last much. Sungho hit his fist on the table, the plates clattering loudly, and stood up. Minho looked at him with a preoccupied look at his face and stood up as well. Seungmin mimicked him, trying his best not to look scared.

“You don’t call me that, _mutt_ ”, Sungho spat as he croaked, voice so deep Seungmin trembled. His mother got up and whispered her husbands name, pleading.

“And you don’t call him that!”, Minho grouched, drowning his mother’s voice, his own knuckles turning white. “You can talk shit about me all you want, but clean your mouth to talk about Seungmin!”, he pointed a finger at Sungho. Seungmin gulped. Shit, that would do it.

“Baby, your father didn't mean…”, his mother tried.

“I meant exactly what I said, Ayeong, you stay quiet”, he glared at her and she sat down with teary eyes.

“Why did you let me stay then, huh? If you’re going to act like that might as well change the locks and keep me out!”, Minho shot daggers at him.

“I’m you father! It’s my duty to set you straight!”, he raised his voice and stepped closer to Minho. Seungmin pulled Minho back by his hand. Minho squeezed his hand once. “You can’t set me straight! _I’m gay_!”, Minho repeated for what felt like the thousandth time.

“You’re not! You’re being a brat because you don’t want to marry!”, his father pointed at him and Seungmin scowled. He didn’t like how disrespectful and violent he was with Minho and his mother. Not that his mother was a saint, but damn, he was so rude. “Those faggot friends of yours are fucking you up, and now _this_ one! After all the hard work I had to raise you!”

Minho squeezed his hand twice. Seungmin tried to see what his face looked like, but he couldn’t from behind him, so he had to trust him. He squeezed back.

“Finally you said something right, father, I was starting to think you didn’t have the necessary intellect”, Minho sneered, and Sungho snarled, opened his mouth to talk back but Minho was faster, “This one here _is indeed_ fucking me. _Finally_ we’re on the same page!”, he smirked. As his words were absorbed by his parents, Seungmin made sure to pull Minho farther away from Sungho, feeling divided in laughing his ass off, crawling under a stone or screaming in horror, but anticipating accurately, despite his inner turmoil, that Sungho would try to hit Minho again. Concurrently with Ayeong breathing out a whispered “oh my Gosh” with a horrified look on her face, Sungho launched for Minho, fist closed.

Seungmin pulled him the rest of the way, back flush against his chest and took another step back for good measure. Sungho growled and threw his other fist, Minhogasped and raised his free hand. Seungmin shoved him so he’d be in the way instead and tried to defend himself, but was too slow and took the hit. Sungho was strong for someone his age, his strike sending Seungmin to the ground.

Minho was on his side the second he hit the floor, caging him as if to protect him from his father. “Seungie, are you ok?”, he cried and cupped Seungmin’s face. “I’m fine, I’m fine”, he got up and patted his clothes. Minho’s mother was crying profusely and shoving Sungho back, telling him to leave and to stop, but he was unmovable as a mountain and she was his new target, “It’s your fault he’s a faggot! Your fault! This is _your_ failure as a mother! You were too soft on him!”, he shouted over and over at her.

“ _My_ fault?! If you didn’t insist on him marrying that ugly girl he wouldn’t be like this!”

Minho walked up to them, even with Seungmin’s hands trying to stop him from getting too close, “You two can spend Christmas alone”, he said flatly and walked past them and out of the sun room with Seungmin on his tail and his father trailing right behind them.

“So it’s going to be like this, Lee Minho?”, he shouted angrily as his mother said, “Lee Minho! Don’t even kid about this!”

Minho stopped and turned around. “Yes, that’s how it’s going to be, _Lee Sungho and Lee Ayeong_ ”, Minho grabbed Seungmin’s hand, “You can’t accept me as I am”, he sobbed, “so you two can enjoy Christmas and every other day of your lives alone!”, he shouted and stormed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh… yeah. Sorry for the cliffhanger? Next chapter is coming like… super soon? Like tomorrow~ the 30th~ ^^’
> 
> If you could leave a kudo… that’d be nice xD Please, do leave comments as well… if you want to~ I love answering them~ :3
> 
> You can also find me on tt and cc for questions or whatever really :3
> 
> Ps.: I. changed one of the tags from "Non-Graphic Violence" to just "Violence". Idk, I'm struggling with this tag, so I rather be safe than sorry. 
> 
>   
>  **Don’t repost this anywhere without my explicit permission, please and thanks.**


	4. I’d go anywhere if it’s with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How come you’re so sweet now? You used to always piss me off…”, Minho scoffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii~ :3 I bring you some closure~ Thank you for all the kudos and comments 💜 you people are so sweet 💜 
> 
> This chapter’s title is inspired from “Airplane” by SKZ. Lino’s line 🥺

Seungmin followed Minho into his room, he closed and locked the door behind him to make sure they were alone. Minho paced around, hand tugging harshly at his hair and heavy tears running down his face. He clutched at his chest like he had been stabbed, and Seungmin crossed the room to wrap his arms around him and hold him. Minho felt small as he sobbed in his arms, head tucked under Seungmin’s chin and hidden on his chest. He held Seungmin like he was a life line, breath coming out ragged and suffered. Seungmin patted his head, stroked his back, held him tight again.

Minho’s father banged on the door, startling them, and tried to open it. Minho looked up and saw the knob twist and the door shift on its hinges without budging. “ _Minho, open this fucking door right this instant!_ ”, Sungho growled.

“It’s locked, hyung, you’re safe”, Seungmin said softly and cupped Minho’s cheeks. Minho looked up at him, his eyes blown huge and his lip trembling. “Do you want to get out of here? We can go somewhere else.”

“I promised Hyunjin he’d have the place for himself on Christmas. He’s trying to woo Jeongin or some shit”, he rubbed his hand down his face and groaned. His father was still banging at the door and calling him and it was stressing him out even more. “ _Shut up_ , father! I’m not opening the door!”

“Don’t make me kick this shit down, Lee Minho! You won’t like the result!”, Sungho kicked the door hard and Minho heard the wood crack. He looked at Seungmin and sobbed. “I-I’m s-so s-scared, Seun-Seungie!”, he stuttered, voice trembling as much as his body.

“Shh, hyung, it’s ok. Let’s go to my parent’s house, yeah? They’re super nice and they’ll love to have us there”, Seungmin brushed the hair from Minho’s face gently and kissed his forehead. Minho calmed down enough to nod, only to jump again when his father kicked the door again.

“Sungho, don’t be like this, let us all calm down first!”, Ayeong said, her voice almost inaudible through the banging. “Shut up, woman! You’re too soft on him that’s why he’s turned out a _faggot_ of all things!”

Seungmin let out a heavy long-drawn sigh. “Get your things, hyung, we’re leaving.”

“T-they…”, Minho whimpered, “They’ll never let me come back…”

“Do you _want_ to come back? When they treat you like _this_?”, Seungmin asked, and as if on cue, Sungho kicked the door so hard the wood actually cracked. “Come out you little cowards! I’m starting with your fag of a boyfriend!”, Sungho threatened. Minho’s breath hitched and he looked at Seungmin and shook his head, “I’m n-never coming b-back. I… I don’t want this anymore.”

He got his things that were almost all in his bag anyway and picked up Seungmin’s backpack as well. “How are we…”, Minho looked at the door, eyes watering again.

“I need you to run to the car and not look back, can you do that, baby?”, he made Minho look at him with a gentle hand on the side of his face and caressed his cheekbone, drawing soothing circles with his thumb.

“No no no…”, Minho shook his head. “Shh, it’s going to be fine. Don’t worry, I have a plan”, he managed to smile. He didn’t really have _a plan._ The plan was running out as soon as Minho was out of the way, but Minho didn’t need to know that. “Trust me and run, please?”, Minho looked at the door again and tightened his grip on the bags. “Ok, but don’t get hurt, ok?”, he bumped his head on Seungmin’s chest. “ _Please_ , don’t get hurt. You can’t get hur-”

“I won’t”, his heart hammered and his ears rang, but his voice didn’t fail him. He’d keep his promise. He just had to be quicker than an old man, he could do it.

Seungmin walked to the door and said as calmly as he could. “Sir, I’m opening the door”, he waited for the banging to stop and unlocked it. Sungho immediately flung it open and it hit the wall with a loud thud. As he'd promised, he launched at Seungmin, and with a fucking knife in hand. Seungmin dodged him barely and screamed desperately for Minho to get out, which he thankfully did after a moments hesitance. He avoided another swing of his arm with just a scrape of the sharp edge on his arm and pushed Sungho away with a kick to his stomach hard enough the man fell to the ground, the knife clattering as it slid away from his hand. Seungmin took his chance and ran out of the room, almost tripping on Ayeong, who was whimpering on the corridor floor.

When he got to the car, Minho had it already started and sat on the front passenger seat. The last thing Minho saw as he looked back was his father shouting curses at him that his ringing ears couldn’t hear.

He curled up on a ball on his seat and cried. And Seungmin let him, not even trying to say comforting words; because he had none. His parents had always been supportive of him, in every aspect. He couldn’t even fathom what was like having to deal with a father like Sungho for so many years. It had been not even a week and he was drained. He glanced at Minho from time to time to see if there was any change, but he only whimpered and trembled, arms tight around himself and face hidden behind his arms and legs.

When he got to his parents’ house, he nudged Minho softly and petted his head. “Hyung, we’ve arrived.”

Minho uncurled himself and looked out the window. “Are you”, his voice cracked and he cleared his throat, “are you sure it’s ok for me to be here?”, he looked back at Seungmin and, shit, Seungmin’s heart clenched. He looked so vulnerable, nothing like the mean hyung that would tease him to no end. It was so unlike Minho to show weakness. Seungmin was used to his mocking smirk, his loud laughter and his menacing look when he was angry. Not this. It felt wrong and it made him want to go back to Minho’s house just to punch his father.

“Hyung, it’s more than ok. I want you here, ok?”, Seungmin messed his hair and smiled. Minho’s mouth twitched, a smile fighting to show, and he counted that as a victory. “Ok ok, I get it. Don’t go mushy on me. It’s gross”, _that_ was his Minho. No, wait, not his. Minho wasn’t his. “ _Oh my God!_ Seungie, you’re hurt!”, Minho screeched.

“I’m fine, hyung, it’s just a scratch, you can help me clean it up when we’re inside, ok?”, Minho nodded, cleaned a tear that threatened to drop.

Seungmin knocked on the door once Minho recomposed himself. “You don’t have a key?”, Minho frowned.

“I don’t carry it around all the time, it’s back at the dorm”, he shrugged as a cute auntie opened the door. “Seungie!?”, she squeaked, “Oh my Gosh! Papa~ come and see! Seungie came for Christmas!”, she said excitedly clapping her hands and pulled both of them inside. Minho tittered at how much like Felix she sounded instead of Seungmin.

“Hey, Seungie, thought you said you’d spend Christmas with your…?”, an old man hugged him and Seungmin just shrugged, “Change of plans. This is Lee Minho, my hyung”, he introduced with a gesture, making sure to hide his bloody arm.

Minho greeted them and Seungmin excused them to his room.

“They’re very nice”, Minho said with a sad smile. “Are you sure-“

“Minho, they know I’m gay, don’t worry”, Seungmin dropped his hands on Minho’s shoulders. “Hyunjin is loud, remember?”, he smirked and picked up his First-Aid box.

“Oh, fuck, is that how…”, Seungmin nodded and laughed. “It was funny, really. My mother couldn’t look at my face for days and my father needed some time too, but he came around in the end”, he told as Minho cleaned his cut.

When Minho finished, he took off his shirt and put a long-sleeved one as not to warrant any questions from his parents. They were caring and meant well, but Seungmin wasn’t in the mood to explain how he ended up almost being stabbed.

Seungmin brought Minho close and hugged him tight. “Hyung, how are you holding on?”

“I’m… so sad”, he said and hugged Seungmin back. “How come you’re so sweet now? You used to always piss me off…”, Minho snorted. Seungmin shrugged, “It’s fun to tease you”, he said like he’d always answer Minho when he asked why he was such a dick, but decided it’d be a good moment to add his newfound discovery. “It also gets me attention, so it’s a double win”, he giggled, shaking Minho on his hold.

Minho peeled away from the hug and quirked a brow at Seungmin. “If you wanted hyung’s attention all you needed to do was ask, puppy”, Minho booped his nose, and Seungmin swatted his hand away with a blush high on his cheeks. Usually Seungmin would take the bait and tease back, but he had just ran away with Minho from his homophobic parents and they’d had a heated kiss in their pool, so he was feeling brave, confident even. “I want attention hyung~ don’t cling to Jisung like he’s the most precious thing ever”, he said sincerely with a huge pout. Minho’s mouth dropped opened instantly and he blushed.

What was Seungmin thinking being this cute? How fucking annoying. “See? Doesn’t work! You are scowling”, Seungmin sighed and shook his head as he walked to his bed and flopped down. “That’s because it’s annoyingly cute! No one has no business looking this cute! It offends me!”, Minho folded his arms and sat down beside Seungmin, bouncing on the bed.

“So you think I’m cute, hyung?”, he smirked.

Minho deadpanned, “Duh, yeah”. Seungmin blushed hard and Minho was going to poke fun at him when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in”

“Seungie, mind coming to help me for a second?”, his mother looked from Minho to Seungmin with a silly smile on her face. Seungmin nodded and Minho followed them to the kitchen, he really didn’t want to be alone.

Seungmin’s family was so different from his that he soon calmed down, forgetting for that moment about his parents and the whole fight. He helped Seoyeon –the mother – with the rice and then sat on the couch with his father waiting for Seungmin to finish cutting the vegetables.

“So, are you the boyfriend Seungmin was going to spend Christmas with?”, Jihoon – Seungmin’s father – asked.

Minho gulped and cursed Seungmin internally. “Uh…”, he looked towards the kitchen hoping to see Seungmin listening in the conversation, but he was very focused on cutting something. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, we know about him!”, Jihoon waved his hand in the air dismissively.

Great, now if he didn’t say he was Seungmin’s boyfriend his father would question the kid about what had happened, but if he said he was said boyfriend they’d ask why the change of plans which would lead to more questions… Minho cleared his throat to gain time as he thought, ultimately deciding to go with the flow, “y-yeah, I’m the boyfriend. Seungmin’s, that is”, he swallowed nothing and smiled shyly.

“Is he being nice to you?”, his father said as he slid closer to him on the couch, and Minho looked at him confused. “It’s ‘cause, and I don’t mean to intrude but, it seemed like you’ve been crying and your mouth is hurt and you have a bruise…”, Minho gawked at Jihoon and tried to cover his bruise, “No! No need to feel self-conscious, I just want you to know that it doesn’t matter if he’s our son, if he’s being violent…”

“Oh my God, _no_! Sir, that’s not it _at all_!”, Minho shook his head fervently. Who were these people and why weren’t them his parents, holy shit. “This… I came out to my parents… things got ugly, this has nothing to do with Seungie! He actually helped me!”, he grabbed the man’s hand in his. “Please believe me!”

“ _Your parents did this?_ ”, Minho cursed his mouth. And Seungmin. And his stupid violent father. He looked down to his lap and sighed, there it was, now he remembered again what happened, the images flashed behind his eyes like everything was happening again.

“Dad, give Minho a breather, please? He’s had a tough day”, Minho looked up and Seungmin was already beside him. He thanked him with a meaningful look and Seungmin sat beside him and took his hands in one of his, drying a drop of sweat off his temple with the other one. “Don’t close your hands like this, hyung, you’re going to hurt your palm”, Seungmin frowned and Minho looked at his hands, at where he was digging his nails on his skin. He loosened his hold and blushed. Seungmin was making him weird with all the care and affection. He knew he really cared. They would fight, bicker and tease each other, but when Minho needed him he had always been there to wipe away his tears or to cry for him, but somehow it felt different now, Minho just couldn’t tell how.

“So, how long you’ve been together?”, Seoyeon chirped from the other couch.

“Together?”, Seungmin whipped his head to Minho, and he laughed at his face. “Your parents are very perceptive, Seungie~”, Minho grabbed his hand and squeezed once, a sly smile on his face. Seungmin huffed and looked at his father, who wiggled his eyebrows at him.

“Were you trying to hide it from us, Seungmin?”, his mother scowled.

“No, mom! I just wanted to tell in a different opportunity, that’s all…”, Seungmin said smoothly. “Things are kind of… confusing right now for Minho.”

“It’s ok, babe, your parents are nice”, Minho laced his fingers with Seungmin’s where their hands were joined. “And you had already told them, anyway, you just didn’t mention who I was…”, Minho hoped Seungmin understood that _he_ was the one that put them in this situation.

“Oh, yeah…”, Seungmin gasped. “Sorry, hyung, I forgot to mention that…”

“It’s ok, baby, don’t worry”, Minho squeezed his hand once.

The night went on smoothly from them on. It was so easy when they didn’t really have to fake anything, when they didn’t have to convince Seungmin’s parents of anything, but it worked perfectly as an excuse for Minho to glue to Seungmin’s side. He still felt weak and vulnerable, and Seungmin’s warmth and soothing caresses were way too nice to pass on. It felt weird to rely on him for that. Usually he’d turn to Chan or Changbin for that. Maybe cuddle Jisung or Felix, or hang out with Hyunjin, or indulge Jeongin in an exciting gaming session to distract himself. He had never had Seungmin all to himself like that.

It felt weird, but not in a bad way. Seungmin was mostly quiet and didn’t push him to vent his frustrations. He was just there, all soft touches and puppy smiles that made Minho feel loved and cared for. He gradually felt more in control and a rush of tranquility filled him. His parents weren’t going to push him into marrying, and Areum would get some peace of mind as well. He didn’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore. Everything would be fine.

After supper, Jihoon went to sleep and Seungmin stayed behind to help his mother wash the dishes while Minho borrowed their shower. When Minho got out of the shower, he overheard Seoyeon and Seungmin’s talking and made his way back to the kitchen, stopping behind the threshold as he heard Seoyeon say his name.

“So, how’s he to you? Is he kind? Does he take care of you?”, she asked.

“He is nice, mom, don’t worry”, Seungmin scoffed.

“Come on, Seungie, tell mom about him~”, she whined, “How long have you been dating?”

“Not long…”

“Seungie~ don’t make me ask him!”, Minho could hear the pout on her voice.

“Geez, fine, something like a week”, Minho heard her gasp, “What now?”, Seungmin asked.

“And you’re already bringing him for Holidays?!”

“Mom, I’ve known him for years, it’s not that weird”, Minho felt the silence extendand the screech of chairs and peeked from behind the threshold. Seungmin was settling by the table, with his mother facing him, and from where Minho was he could see both their faces. Seungmin looked uncomfortable, but not enough that Minho felt like he should interrupt their talk. He was curious to know what Seungmin was going to say, anyway. His instincts were tingling and he _needed_ to know why.

“Oh! It’s just that you’ve never mentioned him”, Minho frowned with an affronted look.

“Of course I did! He’s the one I said that goads me all the time!”, Seungmin rolled his eyes.

“Wait, what?!”, his mother said loudly and Seungmin gestured frantically to her. She put a hand to her mouth and proceeded to almost whisper, but the house was silent enough Minho could still listen to her, “Didn’t you say he was your _friendnemy_?”, Minho clasped a hand over his mouth to hold back a scoff.

“It’s frenemy, mom, and yes I did, but things change”, Seungmin whispered back.

“How? What happened? Tell me, Seungie!!”, Minho tittered, his mom looked like Felix when he wanted to know a secret: unstoppable. He felt kind of sorry for letting Seungmin deal with her alone, but damn, he was having fun seeing him squirm.

Seungmin sighed. “Fine, ok ok”, he pulled the chair closer to the table and inclined himself with his elbows on the table. “I noticed something different when I saw him with a rude guy in front of a cafe a week ago… The guy was trying to hit him and I just _felt_ something…”, he trailed off and Minho’s eyes jumped out of his skull. What?! That _actually happened_. Minho kneeled down and peeked out again to take a look at Seungmin’s face.

Oh. That was not his bullshitting face. Minho held his breath.

“He has had a tough month, it seems…”, his mother frowned.

“Well, yeah. It got me worried when I saw him with someone like that and… I don’t know, it came to me like a bomb. I wasn’t expecting it to explode like that, but then I felt like it had always been there… I just never noticed. He drove me crazy from the first day. I thought our personalities didn’t match, but…”, he sighed, “they kind of do in a way I guess.”

Minho released his breath. Holy shit. He got up and turned around. He shouldn’t listen anymore; Seungmin was serious, holy shit… His stomach was doing flips. There were more than butterflies flying down there and Minho wasn’t sure he was ready to know why. He took a tiptoed step.

“And who confessed first?”, Minho stopped on his tracks. Suddenly it was his first day with Seungmin in the mansion, his mother was asking Seungmin if he really loved him. Now he knew it was probably to get a reaction or catch them on a lie. But fuck, it had been so convincing even Minho felt his heart flutter.

His heart had fluttered. Fuck, how stupid he had been. That explained the way Seungmin had kissed him and how soft he had been with Minho and how nervous he had looked around him since they started fake-dating. He had thought it was just Seungmin being shy or whatever. It had not.

“I did. Minho didn’t exactly confess. We’re just… together, it’s nothing serious yet, don’t get used to him visiting, ok?”, Seungmin said and Minho felt his eyes water, his heart ached. Goddamnit. He kept replaying the kiss on his mind, the way Seungmin felt right close to him, how safe he had felt every time he could feel his arms. It came down on him like a bomb, an explosion – but not an unwelcome one.

Minho wiped his eyes and stepped out, trying not to look miserable.

“Minho!”, Seungmin jumped from his chair.

Seungmin’s mother looked between them and excused herself, mentioning how tired she was. She kissed Seungmin on the forehead and did the same to Minho. He couldn’t help but smile at her and whisper her a soft good night.

“Sorry, I had to come up with something…”, Seungmin rubbed the back of his neck. A lie. Minho could tell now.

“You didn’t come up with anything”, Minho gulped. “I heard everything from the beginning…”

Seungmin groaned. “I’m so sorry, hyung, I didn’t… I wasn’t… I’m s-sorr-”

“Seungie…”, Minho whimpered. “Don’t say you’re sorry.”

“But”

“I like you too, Seungie”, Minho breathed out, shoulders slumping from the released tension.

Seungmin stared blankly at Minho for a moment, and his eyes started to water, “hyung, are you sure you’re not conf-“

“Are you really going to ask _me_ of all people if I’m confused, Kim Seungmin?”, Minho chided and Seungmin shut his mouth. Minho cupped his face and stared into his eyes.

“I love you the most, Seungie”, he pulled him down and kissed him. Seungmin hugged him and kissed him back, their kiss tasting like toothpaste and tears, but neither of them would want to change it.

They stayed in silence in the middle of the kitchen in each others embrace until Minho giggled. “Doesn’t that mean that _I_ confessed first? Since you never actually said it to me.”

Seungmin laughed. “Yeah, hyung, I guess you’re right, I never said it to you”, he hugged Minho tight. “I love you, hyung, even if you drive me crazy 99% of the time.”

“Yah! Don’t ruin out sweet moment!”, Minho released himself and punched Seungmin on the chest lightly, “That’s why I have to cook you on the Air Fryer!”

Seungmin cackled and kissed Minho again. “Let’s sleep, hyung, today was a long day.”

“I’m the big spoon”, Minho smiled and pulled Seungmin for a kiss again.

⟣⟢

December 25

Minho opened his eyes to a sleepy puppy beside him. He snuggled closer to him and wrapped himself around him, and smiled sweetly when Seungmin rubbed his face on his neck and inhaled deeply.

“Merry Christmas, hyung”, the boy yawned.

“Good morning, Seungie. Merry Christmas”, Minho giggled.

“Feeling ok?”, he peeked at Minho.

“Yeah… somehow”, Minho sighed. “It hasn’t hit yet that I had to leave… I think…”

“Do you regret it?”

“No, not one bit”, Minho smiled. “My father was just too much. I’ve always done what they wanted. The only thing I wanted was for them to…”, Minho sucked in a breath and bit his lip, “listen and accept me”, he sniffled and Seungmin sat up to look at him better.

“Hyung, I’m here. I accept you and I love you.”

“Yeah”, Minho smiled through his tears, “I know, baby, I know. I love you too.”

They cuddled a bit in bed while Minho sorted his head and talked with Seungmin about what he would do from then on. He had some savings of his own, from part-time jobs he’d taken a few times even if he didn’t really need the money at the time. He could probably pay his rent with that. With the experience he had on those places he could probably find a nice part-time job to keep money coming in.

“You think they’ll cut off your money?”, Seungmin frowned.

Minho huffed, “They have already, probably, but I don’t need their money. I have my separate account, they can’t grab what’s mine”, Minho smirked, “They’ll probably think I’m going to come back with my tail between my legs if they block my credit cards, but really, I don’t even use their money all that much.”

They kept talking over breakfast, getting some nice tips and comments from Seungmin’s parents. And when they left at night, they even invited Minho over. “You should totally come again, sweetie, our doors are always open for you, ok?”, Seoyeon had said. And if Minho had hugged her and cried, no one could blame him.

⟣⟢

They opened Seungmin’s apartment door to Hyunjin on Jeongin’s lap, both naked waist down. Both the boys looked at them shocked and scurried to cover themselves.

“Seungmin! You said you were getting home tomorrow!”, Jeongin complained without looking at his face, utterly embarrassed.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t think I’d find you three fingers deep inside Hyunjin in our _living room_ of all places!”, Seungmin barked while Minho was just cackling with his head shoved on his shoulder. “Weren’t you gonna stay at Hyunjin’s?”

“We weren’t quite there yet”, Hyunjin smirked, to which Jeongin groaned and threw a cushion at him. “We were. But we thought we could debut the couch”, Hyunjin continued, ignoring Jeongin’s protests. Minho just doubled over and rolled on the floor laughing.

“So, how did it go?”, he asked, seating on the couch next to Jeongin, already dressed again.

Minho stopped laughing and Seungmin sighed, sitting on the couch as well to tell them the news.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry, hyung”, Hyunjin got up to sit beside Minho and hug him when Seungmin finished telling them the shit show that had been their visit to Minho’s house.

Minho was sobbing again, unable to contain the droplets that seemed to have a life of their own. “It’s ok, I’m ok.”

“Hyung, if you were ok you wouldn’t be crying”, Jeongin said from his spot on the floor between Minho’s legs as he drew circles on his knees.

“I know. But I’ll be fine, Seungminie will take care of me, right?”, he looked at Seungmin with a big smile that looked out of place on his tear-stained face, but that Seungmin retributed instantly. “Yeah, I’ll take care of you, baby.”

Hyunjin and Jeongin looked at each other. Then at Minho. Then at Seungmin. “What the fuck?”, Jeongin said first.

“Is there any other news we should know about?”, Hyunjin gaped at them.

Seungmin and Minho blushed. “Oh, we kind of got closer”, Seungmin said vaguely and Minho deadpanned at him. “By close he means he professed his undying love for me.”

“Hey! You confessed first!”

“But only because you confessed to _my mother_ instead of me!”

Hyunjin raised his hand before they’d start bickering. “Wait… so you’re actually dating now?”

Minho and Seungmin stared at each other. Oh shit, were they?

“Actually”, Minho said slowly, “he hasn’t asked me out yet”, he gave Seungmin an affronted look.

“Don’t look at me like that! You haven’t asked me out either!”, Seungmin stood up and pointed at him.

Minho got up and opened his mouth to retort, but… yeah, he hadn’t. Shit. “Well, I confessed first, so you should ask me out!”

“That doesn’t even make sense! And I technically confessed first, so _you_ should ask me out!”

Minho huffed. Seungmin hit his foot on the ground. Both of them puffed out their cheeks and stared at each other.

“Are you sure you love each other? You look just the same to me…”, Jeongin gave them a quizzical look.

They glared at Jeongin, who put his hands on the air, and then at Hyunjin, who only shrugged. “Yeah, you guys are just bickering as always.”

“That’s because he’s annoying!”, Minho and Seungmin said at the same time. They looked at each other and giggled.

“I thought you said I was cute”, Seungmin smirked as he drifted into Minho’s space.

“Yeah… my annoyingly cute boyfriend”, Minho blushed.

“That I am”, Seungmin kissed him to the sound of Hyunjin flipping and Jeongin groaning as background noise. And neither him or Minho would wish to change a thing, because as weird as it was, it felt right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending felt rushed :( I finished writing this chapter 4am, so I was kind of out of it, and when I went to revise it I really didn’t know how to make it better =/ I’m not a very good writer, but I’m glad I could share this story with someone :3 so thank you for reading it!
> 
> hmmmm… I’m also writting a spin-off/sequel of sorts, so that’s why this is listed as a series. It’ll tell a bit of the following month after all this happened and it’ll be rated Explicit… ‘cause hormones I guess.   
>  It’ll probably be posted soon, I don’t like to keep people waiting anxiously for too long since I’m anxious myself xD
> 
> Once again, thank all of you that stayed until the end of this mess <3
> 
> I’d really appreciate it if you could leave comments and/or kudos :3
> 
> You can also find me on tt and cc for questions or whatever really :3

**Author's Note:**

> Hihi 🥰 hiiii~ if you read this chapter ’til the end, thank you :3
> 
> Portraying 2Min’s “divorced couple” dynamic is really haaard~ 😩 I don’t think I did it justice! But I tried my best D: ‘cause I like it a lot xD
> 
> I have the next chapter ready and I’ll post it very soon! We will see how 2Min deal with Minho’s parents and their reaction to the lover boy xD
> 
> Kudos appreciated <3 Feel free to leave comments as well~
> 
> You can also find me on tt and cc for questions or whatever really :3
> 
> **Don’t repost this anywhere without my explicit permission, please and thanks.**


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